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Blavatnik Family Foundation gives Tel Aviv University $20 million

September 8, 2014

The investor Len Blavatnik’s family foundation said on Monday that it gave Tel Aviv University $20 million to establish, among other things, a pharmaceutical-research lab, a computer-science research fund and a cyber-research center.

The initiative will help "support the next generation of scientific researchers and innovators in Israel,” the 57-year-old Odessa-born Jewish investor said in a statement.

Blavatnik’s grant will create a Student Film Production Fund, which will provide awards of $2,000 to $5,000 to enable undergraduates and graduate students "to transform their ideas from the story board to cinematic work," the foundation statement said.

And a President’s Discretionary Fund will enable the head of the university to "make competitive offers to talented researchers and new faculty, particularly sought-after academic stars who are courted by other universities," the statement said.

Joseph Klafter, president of TAU, called Blavatnik "a strong partner to the university" and said he’s "demonstrated a passionate commitment to promoting excellence in higher education and research" in Israel.

Blavatnik chairs and controls closely held Access Industries, which has investments in natural resources and chemicals, media, telecom and real estate. He sits on the boards of TAU and Cambridge University.